Shooter Sharelle McMahon and defender Liz Ellis have cleaned up at the 2002 Netball Australia Awards.

Melbourne Phoenix goal attack McMahon was voted Australian Player of the Year by national coach Jill McIntosh.

McMahon 25, whose 84 per cent conversion rate was the best in this year's National League, polled the most points from McIntosh who voted on a 3-2-1 basis after all of Australia's nine Tests and three matches against the President's XII.

Sydney Swifts goalkeeper Ellis took out the two major domestic awards winning the Commonwealth Bank Trophy Most Valued Player and Player's Player Awards.

Ellis polled 26 points from 14 rounds, four more than 2000 MVP winner McMahon with Melbourne Kestrels captain and centre Nicole Richardson a further point back.

The Australian selectors considered Ellis among the top three players in 12 of her 14 appearances.

Experienced defender Ellis, who has played 96 national league matches for the Swifts, was presented with a $10,000 Commonwealth Bank Award Saver Account at Customs House at Circular Quay after a season when she took more intercepts and rebounds than anybody else.

Ellis and McMahon filled their respective positions in the Team of the Year, on the first occasion an all star side had been drawn from the national league competition.

The Margaret Pewress Team of the Year, named after the deceased former NA president, included six members of Australia's Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning squad.

Picked alongside Ellis at the back was Australian and Adelaide Thunderbirds goal defender Kathryn Harby-Williams.

The mid-court line was comprised completely of Thunderbirds with Peta Squire at wing defence, Rebecca Sanders at centre and Laurel von Bertouch at wing attack.

Von Bertouch, who was recently named for the fist time in an Australian squad, was the only uncapped player to make it onto the team completed by McMahon and her Phoenix and Australian shooting colleague Louise Southby.

McMahon was the only player in the team who collected the maximum 48 votes.

Each National League captain and coach voted on a 3-2-1 basis for a player in every position.

Ellis, 29, who won the MVP award in 1998, joined Jacqui Delaney as a two-time winner of the award.

In other awards, Adelaide Ravens defender-turned-shooter Mandy Edwards was named Best New Talent, Sharon Kelly was chosen Umpire of the Year and South Australian Under-21 coach Tania Obst took Coach of the Year.

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